News

Die Internationalen Hofer Filmtagen haben jetzt den Eröffnungsfilm sowie weitere Filme für ihre vom 22. bis 27. Oktober stattfindende Ausgabe bekannt gegeben.

Die Internationalen Hofer Filmtage eröffnen in diesem Jahr mit dem Dokumentarfilm „Zeppelin oben rechts“ (Credit: Internationale Hofer Filmtage)

Die Internationalen Hofer Filmtage werden am 22. Oktober mit dem Dokumentarfilm „Zeppelin oben rechts“ eröffnet. Das hat das Festival jetzt bekannt gegeben.

Für seinen Dokumentarfilm hat Olli Duerr sieben körperlich, psychisch und geistig gehandicapte Menschen im Atelier23 der Lebenshilfe Gießen drei Jahre lang begleitet und dabei den künstlerischen Prozess vom ersten Strich bis hin zur Ausstellung in der Galerie23 dokumentiert.

„Der Film ist über die Jahre der Entstehung zu weitaus mehr als einem bloßen filmischem Werk für mich geworden. Die besondere Herangehensweise der Umsetzung hat mich zu einem Teil der Gemeinschaft werden lassen. Was ich dem Zuschauer wünsche: Berührungsängste ablegen, und viel wichtiger: sich von der Kunst und dem Wesen der Menschen begeistern...

Sunrise Films has set a U.S. release date for “Bonus Track,” the feature directorial debut from director Julia Jackman, written by Mike Gilbert, with a story by Josh O’Connor.

The coming-of-age queer rom-com stars Joe Anders (“1917”) and Samuel Small (“So Awkward”), supported by an ensemble cast including Ray Panthaki (“Boiling Point”), Susan Wokoma (“Enola Holmes”), Jack Davenport (“Ten Percent”), Alison Sudol (the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise) and O’Connor (“Challengers”) in a cameo role.

Set in 2006 England, the story follows 16-year-old aspiring musician George (Anders), who befriends Max (Small), the son of a famous musical duo, as they prepare for a year-end talent show. Their friendship evolves in unexpected ways.

“Bonus Track” made its debut at the BFI London Film Festival and was released in the U.K. as a Sky Original film. The film is an Erebus Pictures and Sky production, in association with Lunapark Pictures and Fortune Films[/link]Fortune Films.

Today, BritBox and the BBC announced the cast of Riot Women, the brand-new drama series from the multi-bafta award-winning writer Sally Wainwright.

Leading the cast and the Riot Women band are Joanna Scanlan as Beth, Rosalie Craig as Kitty, Tamsin Greig as Holly, Lorraine Ashbourne as Jess, and Amelia Bullmore as Yvonne.

Anne Reid (The Sixth Commandment) will play Nancy, Holly and Yvonne’s mother, with Sue Johnston (The Royle Family) as Jess’s Aunt Mary. Peter Davison (Doctor Who), Claire Skinner (Outnumbered), and Angel Coulby (Merlin) also join the cast.

In Riot Women, we dive headfirst into the world of five women who, along with two riotous backing singers, come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band in order to enter a local talent contest, but in writing their first original song, soon discover that they have a lot to say – and this is their way to say it.

BAFTA-winner Joanna Scanlan is leading Riot Women, Sally Wainwright’s BBC series about a group of middle-aged women who form a punk rock band, while BritBox International has boarded as co-producer.

Scanlan, who won a BAFTA for After Love, will play Beth opposite Rosalie Craig (Moonflower Murders, Serpent Queen) as Kitty, Tamsin Greig (Sexy Beast, The Completely Made Up Adventures of Dick Turpin) as Holly, Lorraine Ashbourne (Sherwood, Alma’s Not Normal) as Jess, and Amelia Bullmore (The Buccaneers, Vienna Blood) as Yvonne. Anne Reid (The Sixth Commandment) will play Nancy, Holly and Yvonne’s mother, with Sue Johnston (The Royle Family) as Jess’s Aunt Mary. Peter Davison (Doctor Who), Claire Skinner (Outnumbered) and Angel Coulby (Merlin) also join the cast.

The series sees the women, along with two backing singers, come together to create a makeshift band in order to enter a local talent contest, but in writing their first original song,...

Sally Wainwright, creator of TV hits Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax, and Gentleman Jack, is turning her attention to a new BBC project, Riot Women.

The six-episode series, from Drama Republic, on Thursday unveiled its cast as filming continues in West Yorkshire, England.

Joanna Scanlan (After Love, The Thick of It) will lead the cast as Beth, along with Rosalie Craig (Moonflower Murders, Serpent Queen) as Kitty, Tamsin Greig (Sexy Beast, The Completely Made Up Adventures of Dick Turpin) as Holly, Lorraine Ashbourne (Sherwood, Alma’s Not Normal) as Jess, and Amelia Bullmore (The Buccaneers, Vienna Blood) as Yvonne.

In Riot Women, “we dive headfirst into the world of five women who, along with two riotous backing singers, come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band in order to enter a local talent contest,” a plot synopsis reads. “But in writing their first original song, they soon discover that...

Today, Prime Video released the trailer and key art for A Very Royal Scandal, which will premiere on September 19 exclusively on Prime Video in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Additional cast members were also revealed.

The captivating retelling, featuring Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew and Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis, demonstrates the power of journalism through a pivotal moment in British history. A Very Royal Scandal is the third installment of the A Very…. Scandal anthology series.

One night. One hour. One interview that sent shockwaves around the globe. It is based on the real-life 2019 interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew over the scandalous accusations he faced regarding his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre.

A Very Royal Scandal follows Maitlis and Prince Andrew’s actions in the lead-up to the interview, the ground-breaking event itself, and the many questions left in its wake that would change their lives forever.

The latest Prince Andrew project has dropped trailer.

A Very Royal Scandal, which launches in a fortnight, stars Michael Sheen as the disgraced Prince with Ruth Wilson playing the role of his interviewer Emily Maitlis.

A Very Royal Scandal is a three-part TV series as opposed to Scoop, the Netflix feature that starred Rufus Sewell and Gillian Anderson in the lead roles. It is the third in the A Very… series that Amazon has previously co-produced with the BBC, although this one will only air on Prime Video. Unlike Scoop, Maitlis is involved with this one as an EP.

In the trailer, Wilson’s Maitlis can be seen pursuing the story that would make her a global household name and destroy the Prince’s reputation in a pivotal moment in British history, which saw him buckle under questions around his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and make a sea of humiliating utterances.

Prime Video released first-look images for ‘A Very Royal Scandal,’ which will premiere on 19 September exclusively on Prime Video in the UK.

The captivating retelling, featuring Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew and Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis, demonstrates the power of journalism through a pivotal moment in British history.

One night. One hour. One interview that sent shockwaves around the globe. Based on the real-life 2019 interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew over the scandalous accusations he faced regarding his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre. A Very Royal Scandal follows the action of Maitlis and Prince Andrew in the lead-up to the interview, the ground-breaking event itself and the many questions left in its wake that would change their lives forever.

Also in news – First look images & October premiere date drops for season 2 of ‘The Diplomat’

Along with Sheen and Wilson, the series will star Joanna Scanlan as Amanda Thirsk,...

Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) is always in a joking mood — even, it seems, after losing one of his agents.

In the Season 4 trailer, which Apple released on Tuesday, the Slough House team is called into the case of a serial bomber, which rattles all of London.

We also meet a new character played by Ruth Bradley of “Ted Lasso,” who is immediately at odds with the prickly spy. When she refers to his agents as “the rejects,” he tells her, “They don’t like being called that.” When she asks what he calls his team, he naturally replies, “The rejects.”

Watch the trailer below:

When he objects to being put in cuffs, she says, “I’d rather not take any chances with a man who looks like he gropes people on buses.” His reply: “You’re being hurtful about my appearance. I might have to call Hr.”

Later in the trailer,...

Today, Prime Video released the first photos from A Very Royal Scandal, which will premiere on September 19 exclusively on Prime Video in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The captivating retelling, featuring Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew and Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis, demonstrates the power of journalism through a pivotal moment in British history.

One night. One hour. One interview that sent shockwaves around the globe. Based on the real-life 2019 interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew over the scandalous accusations he faced regarding his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre.

A Very Royal Scandal follows Maitlis and Prince Andrew’s actions in the lead-up to the interview, the ground-breaking event itself, and the many questions left in its wake that would change their lives forever.

Along with Sheen and Wilson, the series will star Joanna Scanlan as Amanda Thirsk, Alex Jennings (Your Christmas or Mine?) as Sir Edward Young,...

It’s an episode Prince Andrew would no doubt wish to be forgotten, but his car-crash “Newsnight” interview is set to enthral viewers yet again in Prime Video’s upcoming dramatization.

“A Very Royal Scandal,” which stars Michael Sheen as the disgraced prince and Ruth Wilson as arch interviewer Emily Maitlis, has been set for release on the streaming platform on Sept. 19, Variety can confirm.

Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis in ‘A Very Royal Scandal’ (Courtesy of Prime Video)

The streamer has also debuted a series of first-look images from the series, showing “Good Omens” star Sheen’s transformation into the British royal, who was widely criticized for his defense of his friendship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his failure to mention Epstein’s victims during the 2019 interview.

Wilson suits up as BBC anchor Maitlis, whose cool performance and professionalism during the interview was highly praised.

“One night. One hour.

Sunrise Films has secured the U.S. rights for “Bonus Track” from Bankside Films, with plans for a theatrical and digital release in October.

The feature directorial debut from Julia Jackman, “Bonus Track” is a coming-of-age queer rom-com written by Mike Gilbert, with a story by Josh O’Connor. The film stars Joe Anders (“1917”) and Samuel Small (“So Awkward”), supported by an ensemble cast including Ray Panthaki, Susan Wokoma, Jack Davenport, Alison Sudol and O’Connor in a cameo role.

Set in 2006 England, the story follows 16-year-old aspiring musician George (Anders), who befriends Max (Small), the son of a famous musical duo, as they prepare for a year-end talent show. Their friendship evolves in unexpected ways.

“Bonus Track” made its debut at the BFI London Film Festival and was released in the U.K. as a Sky Original film. The film is an Erebus Pictures and Sky production, in association with Lunapark Pictures and Fortune Films.

Heading into Cannes, where it has four films in official selection and three projects participating in the Great 8 showcase, BBC Film has unveiled further details about its upcoming slate.

Among new projects in advanced development is Remi Weekes’ follow-up to His House, which is being produced by Tanya Segatchian and John Woodward’s Bright Star. Details for the untitled feature are being kept under wraps but BBC Film director Eva Yates told Screen: “It’s not a horror.”

Also in advanced development is Raine Allen-Miller’s second feature after Rye Lane, a south London-set heist comedy that she has also written.

Two of France’s fastest-rising young stars, Lyna Khoudri and Rio Vega, will lead the French voice cast of animated feature “In Waves,” an unconditional first love story, and tale of loss and memories adapting American illustrator Aj Dungo’s same-titled multi-prized graphic novel.

An anticipated banner prestige animation title from Paris-based Silex Films, “In Waves” lead producer, the feature also marks the first animated co-production of both Anonymous Content and Charades, behind sales of Jeremy Clapin’s “I Lost My Body” and Mamoru Hosoda’s “Mirai,” both Oscar nominated titles.

In Waves is directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen, a former student of French animation schools Gobelins and La Poudrière who helmed episodes of the Silex-produced animated series “Brazen” and was Oscar-shortlisted for her short “My Home,” “In Waves” has just been announced as one of five titles at the Annecy Animation Showcase, part of Cannes’ Animation Day on May...

Ella Glendining, UK director of the Bafta-nominated Sundance premiere Is There Anybody Out There? is among the nine recipients of the Independent Cinema Office (Ico) Miles Ketley Memorial Fund bursary, which has £15,000 to give across three years to early career filmmakers.

The bursary is funded by the Ico with the aim of supporting filmmakers from communities traditionally excluded from the industry.

In addition to Glendining, this year’s recipients are Bim Ajadi, Debbie Hannan, Fabia Martin , Sorcha Bacon, Yvonne Zhang, Hannah Tookey, Rhea Storr and Jessi Gutch.

The first year of the awards supported filmmakers included After Love director Aleem Khan...

The BFI and BAFTA have unveiled the 2024 intake for its 10th BFI Flare x BAFTA professional development program, supporting six emerging Lgbtqia+ creatives working on their debuts in film and TV.

They comprise writer and performer Travis Alabanza, creative producer Isabella Bassett, actor and writer Zak Ghazi-Torbati, filmmaker Cherish Oteka, writer and actor Miles Sloman and screenwriter and director Charlie Tidmas. (see full bios below)

The participants benefit from industry mentorship, bespoke events and workshops at BAFTA and BFI as well as wellbeing and career coaching and access to BAFTA Connect, the academy’s membership programme for emerging and mid-level talent.

They will also be given networking opportunities during the BFI Flare: London Lgbtqia+ Film Festival, running from March 13 to 24 March.

BFI and BAFTA noted that the festival’s opening night film, Layla, was created by two alumni of the scheme.

“The BFI Flare x BAFTA mentorship had a profound impact on my career and,...

For the fourth consecutive year, we’ve got a firecracker of a Best Actress Oscar race. Lily Gladstone took home the Screen Actors Guild Award on Saturday for “Killers of the Flower Moon” over Emma Stone, who had been on a roll since the two won their respective Golden Globes, having pocketed the Critics Choice and BAFTA Awards for “Poor Things.” Now they each have an industry prize and Best Actress feels like a coin-flip. Gladstone has closed the gap on Stone in the Oscar odds since Saturday. Don’t be surprised if she overtakes the top spot soon. But when the SAG Awards and BAFTAs don’t align in Best Actress, which one has the edge at the Oscars?

Since BAFTA became an Oscar precursor 23 years ago, the Brits and the actors guilds have disagreed 13 times in the category prior to the Battle of the Stones. But not all splits are created equally.

This evening we met the cast and crew of Wicked Little Letters on the red carpet of the film’s European Premiere in Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square, London. Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley star alongside Anjana Vasan, BAFTA Nominee Timothy Spall, BAFTA winner Joanna Scanlan, Hugh Skinner, BAFTA winner Malachi Kirby, Gemma Jones, Lolly Adefope (Ghosts), Eileen Atkins (The Crown), and Alisha Weir (Matilda!).

Wicked Little Letters will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on 23 February 2024. Scott Davis, Colin Hart and Ethan Hart were on the red carpet, here are their interviews.

Wicked Little Letters Premiere Interviews

Plot:

Based on a true story, a 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a farcical and occasionally sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger-than-fiction true story, the feature follows two neighbours: deeply conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). When...

Once upon an awards season, Lily Gladstone looked to be the Oscar frontrunner for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Then, she switched categories and was many experts’ tips to win Best Actress instead. Now, however, her status as Oscar favorite has dwindled — with an omission at the BAFTAs contributing to that.

Instead, Emma Stone looks like she might take home her second Best Actress Oscar for “Poor Things” after she won her first in 2017 for “La La Land.” Stone will surely cement that status with a predicted win at the BAFTAs, where she is nominated alongside Fantasia Barrino (“The Color Purple”), Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”), Vivian Oparah (“Rye Lane”), and Margot Robbie (“Barbie”).

Stone is the overwhelming favorite to win this BAFTA award and she sits top of our BAFTA odds chart for this category with Hüller in second.

BAFTA threw up plenty of surprises and snobs in their nominations lineups this year with Best Actress one of the most intriguing and head-scratching categories of the year. “Killers of the Flower Moon” star Lily Gladstone was snubbed while Annette Bening (“Nyad”) also didn’t make the cut. Both of those performers were nominated at the Oscars, however.

Instead, the BAFTA nominees for Best Actress are Fantasia Barrino (“The Color Purple”), Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”), Margot Robbie (“Barbie”), Emma Stone (“Poor Things”), and Vivian Oparah (“Rye Lane”). Stone is the obvious frontrunner and the thespian at the top of our BAFTA odds chart for this category but one name in that list sticks out as a potential challenger: Oparah.

The British actress had a breakout year in 2023 with her role in Searchlight Pictures/Disney’s charming”Rye Lane,” which follows Oparah (Yas) and David Jonsson...

Soon after “Saltburn” debuted on Amazon Prime, it joined the 1 million watch club on Letterboxd (the leading social media app for film lovers) and was one of the fastest to do so this year. The film has completely taken over social media due to its provocative, erotic sensibilities. “Transfixing and hypnotic, writer/director Emerald Fennell has crafted a provocative and diabolical masterpiece”, writes Awards Daily. Despite being nearly a month since its release, “Saltburn” remains in the top 3 most watched programs on the platform, film or television, in both the UK and US.

“Saltburn” reaped five bids at the Critics’ Choice Awards including Best Picture. Lead Barry Keoghan and scene-stealer Rosamund Pike contended at the Globes. Fennell’s sophomore feature merited 11 longlist mentions at BAFTA.

Among those in the running at BAFTAs is Jacob Elordi for Best Supporting Actor. He plays Felix Catton, an aristocratic who becomes the object of desire for Keoghan’s character,...

At the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) on Dec. 3, Andrew Haigh‘s “All of Us Strangers” domainted, winning seven races including Picture, Director, and Screenplay. Meanwhile, Mia McKenna-Bruce won Best Lead Performance for “How to Have Sex” while her co-star, Shaun Thomas, tied for Best Supporting Performance along with “All of Us Strangers” scene stealer Paul Mescal. But what do these little independent awards mean for the larger awards season? Let’s take a look.

Firstly, “All of Us Strangers” had a great night. The fantasy film also won Music Supervision, Cinematographer, and Editing. This overwhelming response from British voters could indicate that the same will happen at the BAFTAs. “All of Us Strangers” could be in line for nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor for Mescal, and Best Actor for Andrew Scott. There are some big names, of course, that these creatives will...

Michael Sheen and Ruth Wilson have joined the cast of the 3-part Amazon series ‘A Very Royal Scandal.’

Based on the infamous interview with Prince Andrew, the series will follow Emily Maitlis’ professional and personal journey as a Newsnight journalist, leading up to her acclaimed interview with Prince Andrew.”

Michael Sheen will star as Prince Andrew, while Ruth Wilson will play Maitlis. the series will also star Joanna Scanlan as Amanda Thirsk, Alex Jennings (“Your Christmas or Mine?”) as Sir Edward Young, and Éanna Hardwicke (“The Sixth Commandment”) as Stewart Maclean.

Also in news – Denzel Washington to reunite with Antoine Fuqua in untitled Netflix movie

Jeremy Brock and Julian Jarrold are collaborating on a the new series with Brock as the scribe and Jarrold as director. The show is produced by Blueprint Television for Amazon MGM Studios and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television. The executive producers of the series are Karen Thrussell,...

Amazon is making a limited series about Prince Andrew’s disastrous interview with Newsnight journalist Emily Maitlis, Variety has learned.

Production is underway in the U.K. on the three-part series, titled “A Very Royal Scandal.” Michael Sheen will star as Prince Andrew, while Ruth Wilson will play Maitlis.

According to the official description, the series will follow “Emily Maitlis’ professional and personal journey as a Newsnight journalist, leading up to her acclaimed interview with Prince Andrew.”

Along with Sheen and Wilson, the series will star Joanna Scanlan as Amanda Thirsk, Alex Jennings (“Your Christmas or Mine?”) as Sir Edward Young, and Éanna Hardwicke (“The Sixth Commandment”) as Stewart Maclean.

The series follows on Amazon’s past successes with “A Very English Scandal” starring Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw and “A Very British Scandal” starring Claire Foy and Paul Bettany.

Jeremy Brock is writing “A Very Royal Scandal” with Julian Jarrold directing.

Delivering some late deal-making momentum to the American Film Market, Sony Pictures Classics snatched up North America and China distribution rights to the British black comedy mystery film Wicked Little Letters, starring Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley.

Sony acquired the rights from StudioCanal and will release the film theatrically in 2024.

Directed by Thea Sharrock (Me Before You) from a screenplay by Jonny Sweet (Greed), Wicked Little Letters is based on a true scandal that stunned 1920s England. The story centers on neighbors Edith Swan (Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Buckley) in the seaside town of Littlehampton. One day, a series of obscene letters begin to target Edith and others, and when suspicion falls on Rose, the women of the town suspect something is amiss and decide to investigate.

Wicked Little Letters recently had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The film’s cast is rounded...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to “Wicked Little Letters,” a stranger-than-fiction mystery comedy starring Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley. The movie, directed by “Me Before You” filmmaker Thea Sharrock, had its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

“Wicked Little Letters” will debut in theaters sometime in 2024.

Set in a 1920s English seaside town amid a “dark and absurd scandal,” the film follows the true story of two neighbors: the deeply conservative local Edith Swan (Colman) and the rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Buckley). When Edith and fellow residents begin to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, fouth-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime. The anonymous letters prompt a national uproar, and a trial ensues — but as the town’s women start to investigate, they suspect that Rose may not be the culprit after all.

“’Wicked Little Letters’ not only showcases great...

The BBC has released the first trailer for the six-part thriller Boat Story, starring Daisy Haggard and Paterson Joseph.

At its core, ‘Boat Story’ is a thriller with a darkly comic heart about two ordinary people whom the world has turned its back on, and whether they’re willing – or desperate enough – to do something crazy to get what they want in life. Pushed to the very edge, can they trust each other and get away with their lives and the money?

The story embodies twists and turns with character-driven, surprising storytelling. Off-beat humour contrasts with high-octane action sequences against the spectacular backdrop of the beautiful, windswept Yorkshire coastline.

Also starring is Tchéky Karyo, Joanna Scanlan, Craig Fairbrass and Phil Daniels.

Also in trailers – “What are you not telling me?” Trailer drops for series ‘Culprits’

The series will be coming soon on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK...

Studiocanal has revealed the brand spanking new red band trailer for ‘Wicked Little Letters’, the razor-sharp British comedy from director Thea Sharrock.

Based on a true story, a 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a farcical and occasionally sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger-than-fiction true story, the feature follows two neighbours: deeply conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). When Edith and her fellow residents begin to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, foul-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime. The anonymous letters prompt a national uproar, and a trial ensues. However, as the town’s women – led by Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) – begin to investigate the crime themselves, they suspect something is amiss, and Rose may not be the culprit after all.

Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley star. Supporting cast includes Anjana Vasan (We Are Lady Parts,...

The BAFTAs have a soft spot for home-grown talent. Earlier this year, “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” scored four bids at the British Academy Film Awards, including Best Actor (Daryl McCormack) and Best Actress (Emma Thompson). Before that, in 2022, Adeel Akhtar snuck into the Best Actor lineup for “Ali & Ava” and Joanna Scanlan won Best Actress for “After Love.”

This pattern of Brits recognizing Brits could bode well for Daniel Kaluuya this year, who makes his directorial debut with the new Netflix drama “The Kitchen.” The film depicts a dystopian London in which all social housing has been eliminated. The focus in the story are the residents of The Kitchen, a community that refuses to leave their homes despite their struggles. At the heart of the film is Kane Robinson‘s (also known as Kano) Izi, who takes Jedaiah Bannerman‘s young boy under his wing and tries...

Andrew Nerger will take on the new role at both Vertigo Releasing and Sunrise Films.

UK-based distributor Vertigo Releasing has hired Andrew Nerger in the newly-created role of head of US and international distribution.

Nerger will oversee the group’s growing distribution slate across North America, Australia-New Zealand and South Africa, as well as managing select titles for global rights.

He will work on both third-party acquisitions for Vertigo Releasing, and in-house productions for the Sunrise Films banner, the production and international distribution company run by the Vertigo team.

The hire is the latest step in Vertigo Releasing’s international expansion,...

The San Sebastián Film Festival has revealed the Official Selection for its latest edition, which is due to unfold from September 22 — 30.

The festival, which is celebrating its 71st edition, will screen Romanian filmmaker Cristi Puiu’s latest film Mmxx in competition. The festival describes the pic as a story that captures the “wanderings of a bunch of errant souls stuck at the crossroads of history.”

Belgian filmmaker Joachim Lafosse returns to San Sebastian this year with his tenth full-length film, A Silence, a drama starring Emmanuelle Devos and Daniel Auteuil. In 2015, he won the fest’s Silver Shell for Best Director for The White Knights, and two of his films have screened in the Perlak sidebar: After Love (2016) and The Restless (2021).

American filmmaker Raven Jackson will enter Competition with her debut film, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt. The festival described the pic as “a lyrical exploration of the life of a woman in Mississippi.

After Love

A transcendent chamber piece, Aleem Khan’s feature-length directorial debut is graced with an exceptional lead performance from Joanna Scanlan as an English woman who converted to Islam for marriage years ago — only to discover, when her husband dies, that he was living a shocking double life. It’s a miraculous study of grief, jealousy and ultimately compassion, all executed with very little dialogue.­­ — Leslie Felperin

Are You There God? It’S Me, Margaret

Kelly Fremon Craig’s adaptation of the classic Judy Blume novel about a girl on the cusp of puberty is charming, heartwarming, and beautifully acted and scored. But its magic comes from its respectful reanimation of the source material: The film stays close to Margaret and her emotions, using them to honor an already sturdy narrative while also expanding our understanding of the world around her. — Lovia Gyarkye

De Humani Corporis Fabrica

Véréna Paravel...

The BFI and UK’s department for Culture, Media and Sport has awarded a further £2.1m to support business development strategies.

Girl producer barry crerar, London and LA-based sales agent Cornerstone Films and film exhibition specialists We Are Parable are among the 24 recipients to receive funding from the latest round of UK Global Screen Fund (Ukgsf) awards.

The awards see a further £2.1m being allocated through the fund’s international business development strand.

The Ukgsf is administered by the British Film Institute (BFI) and financed through the UK government’s department for Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms).

The fund launched...

Anonymous Content has come on board California surf-themed animated feature adapted from illustrator Aj Dungo’s celebrated graphic memoir, “In Waves.”

Produced by Paris-based Silex Films, “In Waves” marks the feature debut of Phuong Mai Nguyen (“Brazen”), and is being penned by Fanny Burdino and Samuel Doux, whose screenwriting credits include “After Love” and “The Origin of Evil.”

The feature is produced by Priscilla Bertin and Judith Nora, co-Founders of Silex Films, alongside Charades and Nick Shumaker, Garrett Kemble, and David Levine who will executive produce on behalf of Anonymous Content.

“We fell in love immediately with ‘In Waves’ on first read,” said Nick Shumaker on behalf of Anonymous Content. “Its themes of first love, loss, and memory will speak to worldwide audiences across age ranges and demographics, and is a needed anecdote to help inject positive emotion back into our everyday,” Shumaker continued. He pointed out the projects marks...

Lizzie Francke, editor-at-large, Fiona Morham, head of production and Natascha Wharton, head of editorial will leave the BFI Film Fund later this year.

The three senior team members have led the BFI’s national lottery funding for the development and production of U.K. films. Acclaimed titles supported by them include “Rye Lane,” “Aftersun,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “Blue Jean” and “After Love,” among many others.

Francke, Morham and Wharton will depart in late spring/early summer. They will continue to support their slate of projects, working with the filmmaking fund team as it transitions to a new structure. The news comes on the eve of details of the new fund, which will be revealed on March 21.

The BFI’s Screen Culture 2033 10-year strategy, published in 2022, earmarks £54 million ($66 million) over the next three years for filmmakers. The new BFI filmmaking fund is part of that. The BFI said it is is...

Exclusive: The BFI and BAFTA have set the 2023 cohort of the BFI Flare x BAFTA mentoring scheme, which provides support to six Lgbtqia+ filmmakers working towards their debuts in film and television.

The programme runs in partnership with BFI Network and is in its ninth year. Alums include Aleem Khan (After Love), Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, Georgi Banks-Davies (I Hate Suzie), Kayleigh Llewellyn, and Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean).

This year’s programme will support writer Dylan Brady, writer/director Phoebe Brooks, writer Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini, writer/director Sarah Grant, writer Bethan Marlow, and writer/director/producer Shiva Raichandani.

As part of the initiative, the participants are matched with industry mentors and invited to attend a two-day lab of events during BFI Flare, the BFI’s Lgbtqia+ film festival. The festival runs this month from March 15-26. They will also receive access to wellbeing...

Argentina, 1985 Leads 2023 Platino Awards Nominations

Santiago Miter’s political thriller Argentina, 1985 leads this year’s Platino awards nominations with 14 nods, including Best Director, Screenplay, and Best Ibero-American Fiction Film. Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s latest pic Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths trails with six nominations alongside Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beasts and Lullaby by Alauda Ruiz De Azúa. On the TV side, the Colombian series Noticia de un kidnapping also notched six noms. This year’s Platino awards take place on April 22 at the Ifema Municipal Palace in Madrid. Check out the full list of nominations here.

Aniventure Taps CAA animation specialist Joe Della Rosa

Aniventure, the London-based family-focused animation company behind productions such as Riverdance: The Animated Adventure and Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, has appointed CAA veteran Joe Della Rosa as its chief commercial officer. Della Rosa will oversee sales and the...

The eight filmmakers will receive £5000 between them.

Aleem Khan and Sian A. Williams are among the eight recipients of a £5000 Miles Ketley Memorial Fund from the UK’s Independent Cinema Office (Ico).

The total bursary is worth £15,000 and will be spread across three years. It is aimed at filmmakers from communities that are “traditionally excluded from the industry”.

Along with Khan and Williams, who directed After Love and Rebel Dykes respectively, the other recipients are: Alfie Barker (Hanging On); Cathy Mager (Sign Night); Corine Dhondee (Cinema Is The Weapon); Hollie Bryan (Hanging On – producer); Jessie Currie (Introverse); and Zoe Hunter Gordon...

The BAFTA Awards just gave its acting prizes to Cate Blanchett (“TÁR“), Austin Butler (“Elvis”) and “The Banshees of Inisherin” duo Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan, but we may have a different set of winners at Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. In fact, completely different if our odds prove to be correct. At the moment, Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”), Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) and Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) are the projected champs, which would mean no overlap with the Brits. But how many times have SAG and BAFTA gone 0 for 4?

Since BAFTA became an Oscar precursor 22 years ago, the answer to that is zero. Even with various snubs, ineligible films and category messiness — Jennifer Connelly (2001’s “A Beautiful Mind”) losing in lead at SAG and winning in supporting at BAFTA; Alicia Vikander (2015’s “The Danish Girl...

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTAs) are often quite predictive of the Oscars, as there’s some overlap between BAFTA voters and the Academy. And unlike last year, the BAFTA winners (along with next Sunday’s SAG Awards) could impact Oscar voting, which commences March 2 and ends March 7 ahead of the ABC awards show on Sunday, March 12. (See all the winners here.)

It was a pleasure to see BAFTA nominees like actresses Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”) and Viola Davis and her “The Woman King” director Gina Prince-Bythewood smiling on the red carpet Sunday, even if they didn’t take home any awards. These days, the BAFTAs use juries to open up their nominations slots to a more diverse slate of talent. But given the chance, this year voters leaned white, overlooking Oscar favorites Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh, and Ke Huy Quan, among others.

While most Academy voters...

Ahead of this weekend’s awards ceremony, here’s our guide to the runners and riders – from All Quiet on the Western Front to The Quiet Girl – as well as the greatest best film winners of the past

The Baftas can seem like another stepping stone on the long road to the Oscars, but the UK industry’s highest honour can assert its own identity when it wants. Last year the British Academy of Film and Television Arts gave its best actress award to Joanna Scanlan for After Love, a film scarcely seen across the Atlantic, and for the seventh time in the past eight years chose differently from the US Academy in the best film race. (Bafta went for Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog while the Oscar went to the wispy Coda: a point to the Brits there.)

Tomorrow night we can hope for more bold choices.

The most rewarding moment of last year’s BAFTA ceremony came with the presentation of the lead actress award: As Joanna Scanlan was named the winner for her moving turn as a widow uncovering her husband’s double life in the British indie “After Love,” her visibly emotional reaction was matched by the palpable warmth of the applause. But a large part of the reason it was so memorable was because, in the long run of precursor awards and televised ceremonies that make up Oscar season, this moment belonged to BAFTA alone. Versions of Scanlan’s speech hadn’t been heard a dozen times before; she wasn’t even eligible for prizes Stateside.

This was a case of the British Academy voters honoring one of their own with little regard for their place in the U.S. race. Scanlan’s unusual win, however, was only enabled because of a rarer...

Exclusive: 12 Years a Slave and Brokeback Mountain outfit River Road Entertainment has joined Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd’s feature Unicorns as producer and financier.

CAA Media Finance will be selling the project at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.

The cross-cultural romance, directed by The Swimmers filmmaker El Hosaini and Floyd, from a screenplay by Floyd, is now in post-production.

Today, we can also reveal that the film will co-star emerging British Indian R&b artist Jason Patel alongside the previously announced Ben Hardy (Bohemian Rhapsody).

Related: Deadline’s Full EFM Coverage

Set against a secretive London subculture, the film follows a queer performer (Patel) living a double life and a single father (Hardy) working as a mechanic, whose lives collide after a chance encounter.

“When Laura Windows, our casting director, introduced us to Jason, we knew we’d found our unicorn. Jason has poured his heart and soul into this.

Ordinarily, The Hollywood Reporter doesn’t review films that were released more than a year ago. But an exception had to be made for After Love, a transcendent chamber piece that was slated to debut in Critics’ Week at the 2020 edition of Cannes — the one that didn’t actually take place. Even without that high-profile launching pad, the film nevertheless went on to garner awards and praise in its domestic markets (the U.K. and France) and beyond, especially for lead Joanna Scanlan. Her exceptional performance as Mary/Fatima, an English woman who converted to Islam for marriage years ago and suddenly finds out that her husband was leading a double life, is a miraculous study of grief, jealousy and ultimately compassion, all executed with very little dialogue.

This debut feature from writer-director Aleem Khan, whose wise script and sensitive direction feel like the work of a more seasoned auteur,...

British TV and film star Joanna Scanlan won the Best Actress BAFTA award last year for her incredible performance in After Love. She plays Mary, a devout convert to Islam who, shortly after becoming a widow, discovers her late husband’s secret family. In this episode, she takes us on a little tour of the meaningful aspects of her acting process—the investigative phase of initial script reading, the “harnessing” of feelings, the mystical “clicking in” that happens through the words, and why it’s always been about the love of it. Plus much more! Back To One can be found wherever you get […]

The post “Making Meaning Out of Life”: After Love Star Joanna Scanlan first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

British TV and film star Joanna Scanlan won the Best Actress BAFTA award last year for her incredible performance in After Love. She plays Mary, a devout convert to Islam who, shortly after becoming a widow, discovers her late husband’s secret family. In this episode, she takes us on a little tour of the meaningful aspects of her acting process—the investigative phase of initial script reading, the “harnessing” of feelings, the mystical “clicking in” that happens through the words, and why it’s always been about the love of it. Plus much more! Back To One can be found wherever you get […]

The post “Making Meaning Out of Life”: After Love Star Joanna Scanlan first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

‘House Of Gucci’, ‘Spencer’ and ‘The Lost Daughter’ are also nominated.

Belfast, No Time To Die and House Of Gucci are among the titles nominated for the fifth annual UK and Ireland’s Casting Directors’ Guild’s (CDG) Casting Awards 2023.

The three titles are all nominated for best casting in a film, along with Spencer and The Lost Daughter.

The winners will be announced at the CDG Awards on February 22.

Scroll down for nominations

The nominees for best casting in an independent film includes Philip Barantini’s Boiling Point starring Stephen Graham and Sophie Hyde’s Good Luck To You,...

Exclusive: Vertigo Releasing has set a January 20th North American release for BAFTA winner After Love, marking the company’s first stateside theatrical release.

Aleem Khan’s well-received debut stars Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It), Nathalie Richard and Tali Ariss in the story of a widow who discovers her husband’s secret family after his unexpected death.

Scanlan plays Mary, a white English woman who converted to islam when she married her Pakistani husband, Ahmed, and they settled in Dover, England. Following Ahmed’s unexpected death, Mary discovers that her late husband had a secret life just twenty-one miles away across the Channel in Calais, France. The shocking discovery compels her to go there to find out more, and as she grapples with her shattered sense of identity, her search for understanding has surprising consequences.

UK distributor and producer Vertigo will release the film on at least 20 screens stateside,...

New Dneg Studio In Sydney Lands ‘Mad Max’ Prequel ‘Furiosa’ VFX Work

London-based Dneg is launching a studio in Sydney, Australia and has confirmed it has taken on the visual effects for George Miller’s Mad Max prequel feature Furiosa. Located in the city’s Tech Central district, it is slated to open its doors in early 2023 with a total capacity of 500. Academy Award winner Andrew Jackson is relocating from Dneg’s London office to his native Australia to run the operation as Creative Director. An Oscar winner for Christopher Nolan’sTenet, he also received an Academy Award nomination for his work on Mad Max: Fury Road. Besides acting as a full service VFX studio, Dneg Sydney will house a new studio for Dneg Animation, which was behind Kid Cudi’s animated love story Entergalactic for Netflix.

Daisy Haggard And Paterson Joseph Set Sail For BBC And Freevee’s ‘Boat...

The awards take place November 24 at The Brewery in London

Stand-up comedian and writer Phil Wang will host The Big Screen Awards ceremony, which takes place November 24 at The Brewery in London.

Wang released his own Netflix special, Philly Philly Wang Wang, in 2021 and has appeared on Taskmaster, Would I Lie To You?, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup and Have I Got News For You?.

The comedian has also published two books and had a supporting role in Amy Schumer’s Life & Beth.

Nominations for The Big Screen Awards were announced last month and featured multiple nominations for Disney,...